An
alliance of Asia-Pacific Nations for promotion of Clean Production and a
Zero-Waste oriented society.

On July 28, 2000, environmental activists from 12 Asia-Pacific nations launched
WASTE NOT ASIA - the region's first alliance to oppose the expansion of
waste incineration technologies and promote ecological methods of waste
management. Waste Not Asia clarified that their alliance members will strive
to put in place a sustainable society that will constantly endeavor to achieve
a goal of zero waste through an evolving program of clean production. The
alliance's work will be based on principles that emphasize materials recovery
over materials destruction; solutions that are democratically derived and
socially just; systems that are community-based and emphasize local jobs
creation involving small businesses as opposed to capital-intensive corporate
led interventions. A press release announcing their formation stated that
the Bangkok Governor's decision to invest in incinerators to deal with the
city's garbage violates every one of the principles of ecological waste
management adopted by Waste Not Asia.

Mr. Tara Buakamsri of Greenpeace South East Asia added, "Incineration is
a toxic technology being dumped on us by some of the most polluted nations
in the world. Japan and Europe have poisoned their own people with incinerators,
and now they want to sell their burners in the rest of Asia."

According to Junilyn Slyvestre, a Waste Not Asia delegate from Philippine
Clean Air Coalition: "Incineration is waste management in the corporate
interest, not the public interest. Waste management in the public interest
means conserving our materials for future generations, not converting them
into toxic emissions." Ms. Sylvestre criticized the incinerator industry
for seeking new markets in Asia when it could no longer build new burners
in the United States or western Europe. "This is an example of toxic trade,
which seeks to make Asia the toilet bowl of the industrialized world. We
are here to let the world know we no longer intend to become the dumping
ground for their discarded technologies."

The following statement was adopted on July 29, 2000. Signatories are listed
at the end.

THE VISION. Waste
Not Asia is a coalition of citizens' groups and individuals from Asia and
the Pacific who support a commitment to:

Whereas Asia is
going through a period of rapid economic and industrial development patterned
along the lines of the environmentally and socially destructive throwaway
society and culture of over-consumption prevalent in the industrialized
North;

Whereas the increasing consumption in Asia is resulting in growing
mountains of garbage and other wastes which are sought to be disposed in
landfills or burnt openly or in incinerators;

Whereas Asia is under siege from multinational corporations, international
financial institutions, aid agencies and governments who seek to push material
disposal and destruction technologies such as landfills and incinerators;

Whereas indiscriminate dumping and landfilling of unseparated waste
is causing severe environmental, social and public health problems which
disproportionately impact and dislocate low income neighborhoods and communities;

Whereas burning waste, with or without the recovery of energy, puts
dangerous substances such as toxic metals, dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), into the air and into the residual ash;

Whereas the United Nations Environment Program has identified dioxins,
furans and PCBs as persistent organic pollutants requiring priority global
action;

Whereas the poor economic and environmental track record of incinerators
and landfills in industrialized and developing countries has led to intense
public opposition to such technologies;

Whereas many incinerator and landfill proposals have been linked
to corruption scandals and undemocratic decision-making processes;

Whereas the disposal and destruction of materials robs future generations
of resources, drains local communities of finances and resources, thwarts
local economic development and undermines rational approaches to waste management,
and concentrates economic benefits in the hands of a few corporations;

Whereas a large informal sector in many Asian countries already exist
that provides invaluable service by recovery and recycling;

Whereas incinerators, landfills and other "end-of-pipe" solutions
endanger the progressive and superior alternatives that are being pioneered
in communities and municipalities around Asia and detract from initiatives
to reduce waste and toxics in manufacturing;

Whereas the over-reliance on "end-of-pipe" solutions encourages exploitation
via the export of wastes and dirty technologies;

Whereas the investments in landfills and waste destruction technologies
are saddling many nations and communities with debilitating debts and undermines
poverty alleviation programs;

Whereas lending institutions and international aid and financing
agencies, by bankrolling these projects, play a key role in promoting retrogressive
waste destruction practices;

Whereas the production and use of unsustainable materials such as
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) has led to the poisoning of human health and the
environment;

Whereas several disasters - such as the Payata dumpsite collapse
in the Philippines and the continuing disaster of Japanese dioxin emissions
- have indicated the futility of "end-of-pipe" solutions;

Whereas this chemical trespass violates women's fundamental rights
to bear healthy children and to breast feed;

THEREFORE, we demand that:
Multilateral, bilateral and private aid and lending institutions like the
Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), USAID, the Asian Development
Bank, and the World Bank:

end funding for
materials destruction methods, including incineration and related disposal
technologies;

Note: Neil Tangri
(and Annie Leonard) of the Multinationals Resource Center have arranged
many trips over the years for Paul Connett to visit several of the Asian
countries that signed on to this statement. Neil and Paul were in Malaysia
and Thailand for two weeks this July. Both attended the conference which
produced the "Waste Not Asia" alliance. Neil provides an invaluable email
service by sharing reports, news, and updates on incinerator and related
issues. If you wish to receive Neil's emails contact him at: ntangri@essential.org